Conventionally, an RE-based superconductor (RE: rare earth element) is known as a type of high temperature superconductor showing superconductivity at a liquid nitrogen temperature (77K) or higher. Specifically, a typical one is an yttrium-based superconductor (hereinafter referred to as “Y-based superconductor” or “YBCO”) represented by a chemical formula YBa2CU3O7-y.
Superconducting wire using a Y-based superconductor (hereinafter referred to as “Y-based superconducting wire”) usually includes a layered structure with the following layers formed in order, a tape shaped metallic substrate, an intermediate layer, a Y-based superconductor layer, and a stabilizing layer. For example, this Y-based superconducting wire is manufactured by deposition of biaxially oriented intermediate layer by a IBAD (Ion Beam Assisted Deposition) on a low magnetic non-oriented metallic substrate (for example, Hastelloy (registered trademark)) and deposition of a Y-based superconducting layer on the intermediate layer by a Pulsed Laser Deposition (PLD), a Metal Organic Chemical Vapor Deposition (MOCVD) or the like (for example, see Patent Documents 1 and 2).